Chapter 3 — "A Sweet Habit"

The rooftop door creaked softly as Yuki stepped into the familiar late afternoon light.

Warm rays of sunset brushed against her face, casting everything in a faint, dreamy glow.

Haruka was already there.

As always.

She stood near the fence, one foot up on the rail, stretching her long legs with surprising grace for someone who always seemed so loud and careless.

The wind caught the towel around her neck, making it flutter slightly.

Yuki clicked her tongue softly.

"Tch... why does she look kinda cool doing that...?" she thought irritably, feeling strangely annoyed at how natural Haruka made everything seem.

Haruka turned, flashing that annoyingly wide grin of hers the moment she noticed Yuki lingering in the doorway.

"Look who's late today. What happened, Miss Delinquent?" she teased, wiping her neck with the towel, playful as ever.

Yuki yawned lazily in reply, lifting one arm to stretch while her other hand flicked open her silver lighter. The familiar weight of the cigarette rested between her lips.

"I'm not late..." she murmured around the cigarette, half-yawning. "You're just early."

Haruka pouted dramatically, puffing one cheek out as she pulled something from her pocket—a colorful handful of lollipops shining like tiny jewels in the sun.

"I know smoking looks all cool and mysterious,"

Haruka said, waving the candies like a bribe,

"but it’s bad for your health. Eat this instead."

Yuki stared at the lollipops blankly, cigarette still perched between her lips.

"...Seriously? What am I, five?"

Haruka grinned wider, cocking her head in that annoyingly carefree way.

"Better five than coughing your lungs out at twenty-five."

Yuki sighed heavily, pulling the cigarette from her mouth and exhaling a long, thin stream of smoke toward the sky.

She shot a sideways glance at Haruka, half-annoyed, half-amused.

"...Tch. You’re annoying when you act all proper like this."

Without waiting for permission, Haruka gently shoved one of the lollipops into Yuki’s hand, smirking like she always won these tiny battles.

"Shut up and take the candy, delinquent."

With a quiet grumble, Yuki sat herself down on the rooftop bench, eyeing the lollipop in her hand. Giving in, she unwrapped it and popped it into her mouth, letting the sweet taste replace the bitter tinge of smoke.

"...I'm not a delinquent though," she muttered softly, gazing out toward the sky, lollipop stick between her lips.

Haruka crouched nearby, resting her chin in her hand, grinning like she always knew exactly what buttons to push.

"Sure you’re not. Says the girl who skips class, smokes on the roof, and glares at everyone like you wanna kill 'em."

Yuki shifted the lollipop in her mouth, glancing at Haruka with her usual deadpan stare.

"I’m not glaring... I’m just looking. For inspiration. For my sketches."

Haruka laughed quietly, the sound soft and close.

"Ahh... so that’s why you keep staring at me in class, huh?"

Yuki’s hand twitched slightly on the bench, her gaze flicking to the horizon. She didn't answer.

But the corner of her lips curved—just barely. A small, gentle smile formed as she watched the sunset coloring the sky in soft gold and rose. The breeze stirred lightly, carrying the warmth of summer and something more quiet, more fragile.

For the first time in a long while, the rooftop felt peaceful

.

Haruka sat nearby, glancing sideways with a faint smile of her own. Neither of them said a word.

No teasing.

No jokes.

Just quiet.

The soft glow of sunset wrapped around them like a secret only they shared.

A sweet, unspoken habit was beginning to form.

...***End of Chapter 3***...

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